Ranchi Court Confrontation: When Lawyers Challenge Judicial Arrogance

Blog 2-A of 12|#3: “When Courts Fail Both Ancient Dharma and Modern Jurisprudence”

Snap Blog | Dharma vs Jurisprudence Series

A viral courtroom exchange reveals the judicial accountability crisis we’ve been documenting

When Respect Had to Be Reminded

We have published two blogs addressing concerns about the judicial system in India — the first analyzing the shoe-throwing incident in the Supreme Court that sparked this series, and the second examining how the Indian judiciary seems to have failed on both counts: modern jurisprudence and the principles of Dharma.

In a dramatic exchange that has gone viral across Indian social media, a senior advocate at Jharkhand High Court’s Ranchi bench stood up to a judge’s condescending remarks, firmly stating: “My Lord, with due respect, you cannot humiliate lawyers like this. We are officers of this court, not your subordinates. Please remain within your limits and speak with dignity.”

This snap blog continues our exploration of judicial accountability under the ‘Dharma vs Jurisprudence’ series—examining how real-world events reflect institutional decay.

This 1-minute 49-second video captures what our comprehensive series “When Courts Fail Both Ancient Dharma and Modern Jurisprudence” has been documenting: the erosion of institutional respect when courts abandon accountability.

The Incident: What Actually Happened

[Video from Jharkhand High Court proceedings, Ranchi Bench — faces blurred to protect identities. Shared for public interest and institutional accountability awareness.]

The Exchange (Translated from Hindi):

Senior Advocate (calm but assertive): “My Lord, you cannot humiliate lawyers like this. We are officers of this court, not your subordinates. Please remain within your limits and speak with dignity.”

Judge (defensive): “You are crossing the line, Mr. Counsel.”

Senior Advocate (firm): “No, My Lord. It is not I who is crossing the line. We are only reminding this court—respect is mutual.”

The exchange continued for a few moments, with visible tension in the courtroom.
As proceedings drew to a close, the judge pushed the case file aside in apparent frustration and stated that he would request the Chief Justice to reassign the matter to another bench.

A brief silence followed. The judge then moderated his tone, and the advocate’s reminder—spoken with composure rather than defiance—resonated beyond Court No. 24, echoing across the nation’s legal circles.

Why This Isn’t Just About One Judge

The viral caption reads: “Judges are losing respect everywhere.”

But the deeper question is: Why?

As we documented in our analysis of the Judicial Accountability Crisis, when judges investigate themselves and face zero consequences for misconduct—as happened in the Justice Gogoi sexual harassment case—institutional arrogance becomes inevitable.

When courts show selective urgency in cases like Shaheen Bagh (waiting 101 days) versus Haldwani (instant stays), they signal that standards depend on identity, not law.

When courtroom remarks perceived as dismissive of Hindu beliefs — such as past instances where judges joked about deities or rituals — occur without similar scrutiny for other faiths, it reveals an enduring pattern of uneven sensitivity.
Read examples in earlier analyses and in our study of religious bias cases.

When a Chief Justice mocks Hindu beliefs saying “let Lord Vishnu repair himself” while showing extreme sensitivity to other faiths, they abandon the dharmic principle of sama-darshana (equal vision).

The Ranchi confrontation is a symptom, not the disease.

The Language of Deference: “My Lord” and the Colonial Mindset

Even within the confrontation, the repeated use of “My Lord” exposes a deeper psychological inheritance.
The term—originally used in British colonial courts to address imperial judges—has persisted long after independence, even though the Supreme Court itself once advised against it. Yet most advocates continue by habit, not conviction.
This linguistic servitude subtly reinforces the hierarchy where judges appear as masters and lawyers as subjects.
It is a reminder that the problem is not only in judgments or appointments—it is cultural.
Until India’s judicial language evolves to reflect equality and accountability, decolonizing the courtroom will remain incomplete.

The Dharma Perspective: Maryādā Matters

Ancient Indian jurisprudence recognized a principle called Maryādā—the bounds of appropriate conduct that even those in authority must observe.

The Arthashastra explicitly warned: When judges act with ahankara (arrogance), they destroy the foundation of justice faster than corruption destroys the treasury.

The concept of Vinaya (humility) applied especially to those wielding power. The Mahabharata’s Shanti Parva teaches that authority without humility creates adharma—not just injustice, but cosmic imbalance.

What the Ranchi advocate did was invoke Maryādā.

He didn’t challenge the judgment. This is Vinaya in action—discipline rooted not in fear of punishment but reverence for balance. He didn’t question the court’s legal authority. He reminded the judge of the dharmic bounds within which that authority must operate.

This is precisely the principle we explored in our Dharma vs Jurisprudence Framework—that true justice requires both Nyaya (fairness) and Vinaya (humility). When courts lose the latter, they forfeit the former.

The Modern Legal Standard Too

Even within the Ranchi confrontation, one detail stands out — the senior advocate repeatedly addressed the judge as “My Lord.”
This phrase, inherited from British colonial courts, was once used to address imperial judges as representatives of the Crown. The Supreme Court of India formally advised against it decades ago, yet it persists — not by compulsion, but by habit.

This linguistic servitude reflects more than etiquette; it exposes a deeper psychological legacy where authority is exalted over accountability. The continued use of colonial honorifics like “My Lord,” “Prayer,” and “Your Lordship” reinforces the idea that justice is dispensed by lords rather than public servants bound by dharma and constitution alike.

Economist Sanjeev Sanyal, member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, recently underscored this very issue in his address at Nyaya Nirmaan 2025.
In his viral talk, “Judiciary: India’s Biggest Roadblock to Viksit Bharat,” he described how colonial-era conventions — from long court vacations to outdated language — hinder India’s march toward modernity.

“We still use terms like ‘My Lord’ and ‘Prayer’ that belong in a 19th-century courtroom. These words shape mindset — they turn citizens into subjects, not participants in justice,”
said Sanyal, arguing that legal reform must begin with cultural reform.

[Watch the video from 8:00]

Sanyal’s critique aligns with the Dharma vs Jurisprudence framework explored in this series. Both emphasize that language reflects consciousness — and when the language of law remains colonial, justice itself stays captive to colonial psychology.

Until India’s legal vocabulary evolves to reflect equality rather than hierarchy, decolonizing the judiciary will remain an unfinished revolution.
It isn’t just about semantics; it’s about restoring the dharmic principle of Maryādā — respect rooted in balance, not servitude.

The Pattern We’re Documenting

This isn’t an isolated incident. It’s part of the systematic pattern our series exposes:

The Shoe-Throwing Incident – When frustration with judicial bias explodes into symbolic violence

Shaheen Bagh Case – When courts wait 101 days to act on illegal blockades but intervene instantly for favored groups

Judges Investigating Themselves — as seen in cases such as the sexual harassment allegations against CJI Gogoi and the cash seizure from a Delhi High Court judge’s residence. When institutional accountability disappears completely, judicial credibility erodes from within

Now: Ranchi Court – When daily institutional arrogance becomes routine

When judges know they face no accountability, when they see colleagues cleared after investigating themselves, when they witness selective application of urgency based on community identity—institutional humility disappears.

Are Judges Really Losing Respect?

A recent social-media caption asked bluntly whether judges are “losing respect.”
That perception, however, reflects a wider concern about the system, not individuals on the Bench.

Respect for institutions is not something that vanishes on its own — it depends on conduct that sustains public confidence.
When any institution appears distant from the principles it was created to serve — constitutional integrity, equality before law, and dignified procedure — the gap between authority and accountability begins to widen.

The Ranchi advocate’s calm reminder that “respect is mutual” resonated precisely because it appealed to shared values, not confrontation.
It expressed what many citizens feel: that mutual dignity between the Bench and the Bar is essential to preserving the moral strength of the judiciary itself.

This is not criticism of judges or the judiciary.
It is a reaffirmation of faith in judicial ideals — a call to protect the fairness, humility, and transparency that have always defined justice in Bharat.

What Happens Next?

Will the Ranchi judge face any disciplinary action for the condescending tone that provoked this confrontation? These recurring imbalances — whether in tone, timing, or transparency — illustrate the deeper institutional habits that our Dharma vs Jurisprudence series continues to document.

As we documented in our comprehensive analysis of judicial accountability mechanisms, Indian judges operate in a system designed for zero accountability:

Colleagues investigate colleagues
In-house committees clear accused judges
Contempt of court silences critics
Impeachment requires impossible 2/3 majority
Post-retirement rewards incentivize favorable rulings

Until this changes, incidents like Ranchi will continue—because institutional arrogance thrives in accountability vacuums.

The Civilizational Stakes

This Ranchi exchange matters beyond one courtroom, one judge, one advocate.

It represents the moment when dharmic principles—encoded in ancient texts, embedded in civilizational memory—reassert themselves against institutional decay.

When the advocate said “respect is mutual,” he wasn’t just defending his professional dignity. He was invoking Rta—the cosmic order where authority and responsibility, power and accountability, must remain balanced.

As we explored in our series on how courts are failing both dharma and jurisprudence, India’s judiciary faces a civilizational crisis: It violates modern constitutional law AND ancient dharmic principles simultaneously.

The Ranchi incident shows that while institutions may forget these principles, the civilization remembers.

When Dharma walks back into the courtroom through conscience, even silence becomes reform.

Read the Complete Analysis

This snap blog provides context for one viral incident. For the full pattern of judicial failures documented with legal sources, case analysis, and dharmic framework:

📚 Read Our 12-Part Series: When Courts Fail Both Ancient Dharma and Modern Jurisprudence

Share This Analysis

If this resonates with you, share it. If you’ve witnessed similar judicial arrogance, comment below. If you believe institutions must be held to the standards they enforce on others—spread the word.

The Ranchi advocate spoke truth to power. The least we can do is amplify it.

#WhenCourtsFailAncientDharmaandModernJurisprudence

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Glossary of Terms

Maryādā: The dharmic boundary of appropriate conduct that applies to all, including rulers and judges. It defines limits of speech, behavior, and power.
Vinaya: A Sanskrit term for humility and disciplined restraint, seen as the foundation of rightful authority and ethical behavior.
Nyāya: The principle of fairness and reasoned justice; in Vedic jurisprudence, it represents logical consistency and impartiality.
Rta (Ṛta): The cosmic order and balance that sustains moral and natural harmony; justice in action aligns with Rta.
Sama-darshana: The dharmic ideal of equal vision — treating all faiths, individuals, and communities without prejudice or bias.
Viksit Bharat: A national vision for a “Developed India” by 2047, reflecting aspirations for modernized governance, economy, and institutions.
Arthashastra: Ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, law, and governance authored by Chanakya (Kautilya); outlines duties and ethics of rulers and judges.
Adharma: The opposite of dharma — representing disorder, injustice, or conduct violating moral and cosmic balance.
Chief Justice of India (CJI): Head of the Indian judiciary and Supreme Court, responsible for judicial appointments, discipline, and interpretation of the Constitution.
Shaheen Bagh Case: Refers to the prolonged protest (2019-2020) against the Citizenship Amendment Act, during which the Supreme Court delayed intervention for over three months.
Haldwani Case: The 2023-24 case in which the Supreme Court swiftly stayed the eviction of encroachers, drawing criticism for perceived selective urgency.
Justice Gogoi Case: Refers to the 2019 sexual-harassment allegations against then-CJI Ranjan Gogoi, investigated internally by fellow judges, raising concerns about self-accountability.
Nyaya Nirmaan 2025: A legal-policy event where economist Sanjeev Sanyal criticized judicial inefficiency and colonial language in India’s courts.
“My Lord” Debate: Ongoing controversy over colonial courtroom terms like “My Lord” and “Your Lordship,” criticized for perpetuating psychological subservience.
Veeraswami Judgment: A 1991 Supreme Court ruling that bars police from filing FIRs against sitting judges without prior sanction from the Chief Justice of India.

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